Retail Excellence: businesses ‘furious’ over Government stance on retail
- Government has ‘lost the room’ by delaying reopening of retail to May at the earliest
- Retail Excellence Managing Director: ‘This represents another nail in the coffin for hundreds of retailers around the country’
Wednesday, March 31st, 2021.
Retail Excellence, the largest representative body for the retail industry in Ireland, has said its members are furious at the Government’s decision to delay the reintroduction of the retail industry until May at the earliest, saying the Government has “lost the room” among key players in the industry.
The Government announcement on new Covid-19 measures was made yesterday evening.
Duncan Graham, Managing Director of Retail Excellence, said: “Our members are furious at this regressive and unnecessary step by the Government. They have really lost the room with this move, which represents another nail in the coffin for hundreds of retailers around the country.
“We are greatly concerned about the ramifications of a decision that is not proportionate to the threat we are facing from the virus. Click and collect would have been a starting point, given it is safe, is largely confined to local shopping, and will not lead to added movement of people especially considering travel limits are being eased.”
He said that retailers viewed click and collect as the first step on the road back to normal trading, and that this decision would cause widespread anger. “Retailers believed that the reintroduction of click and collect services was a fair, safe and realistic first step on the road back to where they want to be.
“The Government has not only denied them that, but also any kind of definitive timeline to a full reopening of the industry. Almost 300,000 people are employed in the retail industry in Ireland, so it is unconscionable our members have been ignored like this by the Government.”
ENDS